At first Nicole didn't say anything, sure she had misheard the other woman. But eventually she looked back at Rosita. Who hadn't stopped staring since her bold statement.
"A way to make me human again." Nicole repeated.
"Yes." Rosita opened her bag and pulled out a small leather bound book and held it out to Nicole. The officer took is suspiciously.
"There's a crystal." She said as Nicole flipped through the book. Eventually landing on the page that had been previously flagged. "Up in the mountains. A cleansing crystal. Or at least.' She gestured to the book. "That's what this legend says." Nicole gazed down at the page. "It's the only thing I've ever found that could come close to being able to restore my mortality."
Nicole's eyes scanned the passage quickly. It spoke of a hidden purity cave where a white crystal was kept.
"It was used to rid the world of demons during the puritan years." Rosita said helping Nicole along as she read. "I found a few other testaments of witches and warlocks who claimed to have been cleansed." She held out several yellow pages clearly ripped from ancient books. "Any who touch the crystal supposedly have all darkness or unnaturalness pulled from them and absorbed into the stone." It seemed Rosita was unable to contain her excitement and optimism, like she'd been edging to tell someone about this for a long time. " It could return us both to purely human."
Nicole was staring at the book. The crystal looked more like a large pointed ice cube than a crystal. This… she started to think as she read further, this could actually be a solution. A genuine solution from a very unlikely source.
"Why are you giving this to me?" She asked suspiciously, finally looking back at Rosita.
"Because I owe you." The Revenant's eyes immediately darted to the cigarette laden ground. Nicole grunted impatiently, knowing her fellow was leaving something out.
Rosita relented. "Fine" She mumbled. "It's because I can't get it myself ,okay?"
Nicole looked back at the passage and continued reading. "The cave it's hidden in cannot be entered by immortals." She read aloud before staring back at Rosita. "You can't go in and get it."
"No." The dark haired woman admitted. "So I need a mortal's help. I need you people's help."
"How do you know this is even real?" Nicole said closing the book. "It's just a legend. There are hundreds of legends. Ape men in the mountains, sharks the size of houses, gods that can turn into eagles. They all can't be true." While Nicole knew how hypocritical she was in saying this to a woman who was over 100 years old, especially since she herself was shot in the chest and just spend the day time traveling, she stood by her point.
"I found the cave." Rosita retorted. "It took me 5 days of freezing my ass off in the mountains but I found it, I did." She crossed her arms huffily. "It's behind a water fall."
"How do you know it's this cave?" Nicole said gesturing to the book.
"Because I couldn't go in." Rosita was starting to take on the tone as if she was talking to a child. "It was like there was this invisible wall blocking me from entering. I know, that's where the crystal is."
Nicole felt her doubts and contradictions slipping away. Could this really be the answer? But then she was reminded of whom she was talking to.
"How do I know I can trust you?" The taller woman accused. "How do I know this just isn't some ambush or this cave doesn't actually house a rabid big foot and you just aren't trying to get Wynonna and everyone else killed."
Rosita shrugged. "I figured you'd assume that."
"Don't go playing all innocent." Nicole felt anger rising within her. "You're the reason I'm in this mess and." The ember was starting to burn in her eyes at the thought. "You've tried to kill Wynonna and Waverly before."
"23 Old Mill Road." Rosita said without break eye contact.
"What?" Nicole glared back.
"23 Old Mill Road." She repeated staring the redheaded woman down. "That's where Kyle Montague and Cheryl Sprat having been hiding out."
Cheryl Sprat was the Rat Revenant, Kyle Montague one of her fellow bank robbers. They were two of the last 10 Revenants.
Nicole didn't respond and instead looked back at the book and papers in her hands. Somewhat astounded by what she had just been told.
"By telling you that I am betraying my own kind. Sending them to the slaughter." Rosita said tight-lipped. "If you go to that address with Wynonna you will be able to kill two more Revenants." Rosita dropped her crossed arms and pushed herself off the alley's wall. "Then you will know that I can be trusted."
Nicole didn't say anything. If all that Rosita was saying was true, not only would they be able to turn Nicole back to a mortal, but also they would be able to remove two more Revenants from Waverly's board.
"My only request." Rosita said, refusing to let the intense emotions she was feeling grip her. "Is that you let me use the crystal too. I get a share of whatever future you get."
Nicole nodded seeing no flaw in this promise. "If everything you say is true."
"23 Old Mill Road." Rosita repeated.
"23 Old Mill Road." Nicole echoed.
"Nicole?"
Just then the side door to the bar opened and a giggling Waverly Earp stumbled out. "Nicole?" She called.
Nicole and Rosita stood frozen as the younger woman finished her laughter and looked up, eyes falling on first Nicole and then Rosita. Her grin faded instantly.
"You!" Waverly screamed. Launching herself towards the Revenant, fists already pummelling the air.
"Easy." Rosita took a step back. Nicole moved forward intercepting Waverly by grabbing her around the waste. The force in which Waverly was propelling herself forward forced Nicole to lift the smaller woman from the ground entirely causing her small legs to kick out as she fought to keep lunging at her enemy.
"Waverly. It's okay. She's just." Nicole began.
"You murderer." Waverly yelled, eyes wild. "You betrayer. You… You adulter!"
Rosita took a further step back, doubting that even Nicole's supernatural strength could keep the youngest Earp at bay for long.
"Waves!" Nicole tried to calm her partner.
"Wynonna! Wynonna!" Waverly yelled, fighting to turn her head to send her voice into the bar. Rosita tensed, ready to run at the sound of the door opening.
"Waves calm down." Nicole managed to clamp a hand over Waverly's mouth while using the other to keep a firm grip on the brunette's small waist, continuing to hold her aggressive body back. "It's okay. She's not a threat." Waverly was staring at Nicole as if she had 10 heads and Nicole knew she would life to regret this later.
"Waverly." Rosita spoke tentatively, raising her hands in surrender. "I come in peace."
Waverly continued to mutter darkly, her voice muffled under Nicole's silencing hand. Her eyes shooting daggers are both Rosita and her partner.
"I explained it all to Nicole." Rosita pointed at Nicole who nodded fervently in confirmation. "And if it all works out not only will she be able to be human again." This caught Waverly's attention and she stopped mumbling. "But you'll also be able to take out at least two more Revenants."
Waverly looked at Nicole who continued to nod in confirmation. Then to Rosita and then, to Nicole's relief Waverly let the fight go out of her body and hung limp in Nicole's arm. Apprehensively Nicole set her partner back on the ground and removed her hand from her mouth.
"This is your fault." Waverly said, straightening her rumpled clothes, glaring at Rosita. "Don't think that just because you may be trying to help us out it changes everything. You still are a traitor and a backstabber."
The Revenant's eyes dropped to the ground. She opened and closed her mouth several times before eventually speaking.
"I am sorry Waverly." The Earp scoffed. "I am." And Nicole saw the same expression of sincerity she had first seen in the woods cross the woman's face. "I… I didn't really think about what I really was doing to Nicole when I got her shot."
Nicole, having heard this before, and had already allowed a bit of forgiveness into her soul looked down at Waverly. Gauging her reaction.
"I was selfish and I was scared when I decided to try and turn Nicole, and…" Rosita took a step towards Waverly who immediately bristled like a stray cat standing its ground. "I regret it." Rosita stopped her advance. "I wish I could take it back. I do. That's why I want to help. I want to fix this any way I can. I know I haven't given you reasons in the past to trust me. But I'm asking you to trust me now." Rosita began to wring her hands nervously. "I am sorry. And I want to right my wrong."
Rosita and Waverly stared at each other for a full minute before Waverly opened her mouth to speak.
Before she could however, there was a sudden slam against the bar's door and the sound of Wynonna's shouting voice permeated into the alley. Yet the door did not open.
"Go." Waverly said, staring past Rosita, refusing to make eye contact again. "Get out of here before it's too late for you."
The door banged again; almost as if someone was trying to kick it open.
Rosita didn't need telling twice. She took off at a run out into the dark streets. The moment she was out of sight Waverly let her guard down. Her shoulders sinking back down.
She eyed the book and papers Nicole was holding before looking up at her partner seriously.
"Do you trust her?"
Nicole looked back to where the Revenant had disappeared. " I do." She was firm in her statement. Ever since Rosita had sought her out in the woods Nicole had felt an odd relation to the woman. Like somehow they had a connection that no one else in her family could ever understand. They both were victims, both wanted the curse broken, and neither wanted to go to hell. "And I think this will work."
Before Waverly could respond a final kick to the door succeeded in swinging it opening and a very drunk Wynonna stumbled out onto concrete.
"Ifff it ishnt my favouriteee lesssboos." She slurred heavily. Dolls appeared in the doorway looking down at the heir reproachfully. "Whattt are youuu bothh duoin out here?" Wynonna squinted at them suspiciously.
"We've got a plan." Waverly's voice surprised Nicole. The officer had assumed that there would be a lengthy private conversation between the two before they decided to share Rosita's Intel; but Waverly seemed to have taken Nicole's trust in Rosita as a green light for the plan.
Doll's eye brightened up at the news but Wynonna looked at her sister sceptically. "What kind of plan."
Waverly looked expectantly at her fiancée who merely chuckled.
"Trust me Wynonna." Nicole said loosing up her body and slapping the heir on the back. "Danger, risk, dead Revenants. You are gonna love it."